SI+Evaluation

=Directions: Please respond to as many of the following questions as possible. The intent is to guide us in the planning of next summer's institute and evaluate the effectiveness of this summer's institute. We may also use some quote's from your responses in preparing advertisements for SCKWP activities.=


 * 1. In what ways did this institute contribute to your writing habit?**
 * This institue re-established my yearning to write. I plan on incorporating writing into my classroom on a weekly basis.
 * The writing institute enabled me to regain a past love of mine--writing. My students will be writing often and in as many ways I can manage. AM
 * I can't honestly say that the institute contributed to my writing habit. What I can say it that the institute STARTED my writing habit! It is one habit I don't want to kick.
 * The writing institute helped me to find a voice with my writing. My students will hopefully grow as both academic yet authentic writers.
 * I discovered that I can write. I may not be as creative and fast as others, but during the one month summer institute, my writing grew by leaps and bounds.
 * It opened my eyes to see a variety of writing methods such as dual voice poems. Now that I know writing can vary so much I can use a plethora of techniques to inspire me and keep me writing.
 * I may have to enter a 12-step program for my habit. J/K. It has totally renewed my interest in writing for myself.


 * 2. In what ways did this institute contribute to your confidence in writing and sharing what you write with others?**
 * Sharing what I wrote with the other fellows in the class helped boost my confidence in my own writing and made me more willing to write freely and creatively.
 * I appreciated the opportunity to share my writing and ideas with others. It gave me the chance to get constructive feedback. AM
 * I became more and more comfortable with my products. Finally, feeling confident enough, I took the step and dabbled in poetry. If not for the fellows and their supportive comments, I'm sure that would not have happened.
 * Sharing was an important element, without it we would not have an emotional bond with the people in our group. Take this ideas into your classrooms, students might be hesitant at first, but in time, we can learn so much about the individuals we have in our classrooms.
 * Tremendously!! I don't like to share because I feel my writing isn't worth hearing. It was nice to be encouraged and to find out I am a writer.


 * 3. In what ways did this institute add to your wealth of ideas for teaching your students to produce more writing?**
 * Participating in this institute helped me gain ideas on how to incorporate writing activities into my math classroom. I will be able to adapt many of the teacher demos to the appropriate age level and to my subject area.
 * Oh, my goodness! This has been a wonderful experience and I can now go back and approach writing with new improved ideas, along with research to back up my decisions. I am enthusiastic and excited about teaching this next year. AM
 * SCKWP has enhanced my practice with ideas to tweak and extended it with new strategies to implement. I look forward to starting our daily writing time.
 * The ideas are easy steps to implement such as author's chair, journaling, sharing the writing, response groups, all of these strategies are not hard to do, if anything I would question why we wouldn't want to try to incorporate them into classroom instruction.
 * I was brought back to the beginning of my career where I allowed my students to write on a regular basis across the curiculum. I rediscovered the value and importance of writing.
 * I learned so much! I was afraid being a math teacher this would be a waste of time but I learned more about how to teach writing in 4 weeks than in the last 4 years.
 * It's had a very real effect on how I will approach writing in my classroom.


 * 4. Describe some practical applications you can take from this institute for use in your classroom during this next school year.**
 * Writing prompts, author's/reader's chair, and the teacher demos
 * Writing prompts involving children's literature, visualization, music and art; specific pieces from reader's chair like, "I Knew You Could"; Good Egg, Bad Egg, new ways of self reporting and self checking for young writers.
 * Writing prompts/author's chair/some of the teacher demos
 * Student authors, excellent prompts to promote thinking, various adaptable lesson plans
 * the research project and position pape were very helpful


 * 5. If this institute was valuable to you, what might you say to a colleague to encourage them to apply to attend the summer institute in 2007?**
 * I will be telling my colleagues that participating in this institute will give them a wealth of ideas on how to incorporate better writing into their classroom.
 * I will tell my colleagues that the institute is an experience that all must attend. I came in feeling like I wasn't a "writer" and I end feeling like "I am a writer."
 * a group of strangers got together
 * shared ideas and personal glimpses of themselves
 * moved together toward a common goal
 * offered support and formed alliances
 * came away as writers
 * no longer strangers
 * CONFIDENCE in approaching writing for yourself and your students
 * If I can do it then anyone can!
 * I'll sell it in every way possible to colleagues in every discipline

I think the research was very valuable. It was perhaps the least pleasant "assignment" but that doesn't mean it wasn't valuable.
 * 6. List as many of the elements/activities in this summer institute in the order of most valuable to least valuable that you can recall.**
 * collaboration, Teacher demos, writing prompts, technology, and author's/reader's chair. Make your own numbered list in order of importance.....**
 * 1) Prompts
 * 2) Technology
 * 3) Teacher Demos
 * 4) Events
 * 5) Author's/Reader's chair
 * 6) Article summaries
 * 7) Logger notes
 * 8) prompts
 * 9) Teacher demo
 * 10) technology
 * 11) Author's/readers chair
 * 12) Article summaries
 * 13) Events
 * 14) Reasearch...


 * 7. How did the emphasis of technology in this institute benefit your writing or ideas for teaching writing?**
 * I am motivated to use technology more in my classroom. I plan on using the technology on my webpage and to give feedback and do writing with my class. AM
 * Already drawn to technology, I am interested in implementing a blog for my classroom, a wiki for my grade level with podcasts and digital stories for my students...and me
 * Important information, I want to take many of these ideas back to my students, they will love what they can do with their writing!!!
 * Gave me different avenues to use to promote student motivation
 * Great ideas, but I'm not sure how I'll use them.


 * 8. In what ways has this institute changed your attitude about writing?**
 * I love writing again, and I am on a mission to help my first graders enjoy writing, too. AM
 * I love teaching writer and could say... "I AM a writing teacher"...now I can also say "I AM a writer!"
 * I have found the eight year old author inside me
 * Writing is everywhere. When I write a recipe, I am writing.
 * Not much change, but I see writing as more crucial component of learning in general.

1. Is there a way those accepted before school is out, could be given a heads up to save some samples before sending them home at the end of the year? 2. Could student samples be clearly defined? 3. I agree that students sharing out their responses is an excellent example of student work and sh ould be counted toward that part of the rubric. 4. Syllabus information and the schedule should be properly updated to be thoroughly consistent. Written assignment sheets should be produced for the research project, if not for the other required written work, that make completely clear what is expected of the fellows. The confusion and changing and need for clarification of assignments was consistent throughout the institute and could have been avoided if the materials distributed to fellows had been consistent and up to date. 5. TC's should be carefully chosen as supportive and positive individuals. On more than one occasion, one TC was so critical and judgmental in general that several fellows commented on being reluctant to open up or share because of it.
 * 9. What would you recommend to improve next summer's institute?**
 * I believe that the rubric is a valuable tool for those being assessed and those assessing. I also believe that it must be appropriate in all areas.
 * I have a suggestion(s) regarding the student sample portion-
 * Have the evening field trip earlier in the institute.
 * **That is a good idea...dynamics visably changed with a more relaxed attitude.**
 * Clearer expectations-not conflicting
 * If an expectation is written down somewhere don't go back on it.